freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences

Kathy Griffin did something that is simply reprehensible. I cannot believe that her posted picture with a mock severed head of our current POTUS was anything but a sickening way to express her disgust with the current POTUS and the policies he espouses. I have been transparently clear that I find our current POTUS to be an unworthy occupant of that office. Nevertheless, I can only condemn what she posted. It's plain sick!

To add insult to injury, Griffin is now acting like a victim. CNN has fired her from her gig on New Year's Eve with Anderson Cooper. She has had some personal appearances on an upcoming tour canceled. In fact, her career as a comedian may now be over. I've seen her in tears over the situation. Well...I, for one, do not feel sorry for her at all!
When criticizing a public figure, Americans have a LOT of leeway, even with the truth. Editorial comments about a public figure are tolerated in a way they never would be if one were to make such a comment about one of us common folks. And, if the person being skewered is an elected official, almost anything goes.
However, the fact that we may say almost anything and not go to jail for such speech, which, after all, is what freedom of speech is all about, does not mean that others may not take actions that can hurt us for saying and/or doing something inflammatory.
No one forced Kathy Griffin to pose in that fashion for that picture. If it wasn't her idea, when it was presented to her, she could have, and should have, said, "No way!" Instead, she found it to be the type of provocative act she hoped would create a sensation.
Congratulations, Kathy...It worked!

Agree with you for the most part..Stupid, non funny thing she did. I liked watching her interviewed at times because she would say anything and had no shame. Her main shtick was embarrassing people buy basically being a shock jock. I just think the main reason she did what she did was for shock value and get herself back in the news. It seems it back fired on her or maybe not, time will tell. What she did was take the heat off Trump for a while with all the investigations and underhand dealings going on. Do you think Trump was really worried about what his 11 year old son thought after all the sick and perverted things he has said? I don't. A welcome diversion for Trump and his team. You never know, this could all be an act Griffin is putting on. She shouldn't of used a severed head with what happened to Daniel Pearl and all. Fuck her.

Good morning Fucknut. HBO condemned what Maher said Maher apologized for saying it.
Only black rappers can use the "N" word . This is why Chance the rapper called for hbo to kick Maher off his show.
Maybe Maher is a closet racist. Maybe that Million dollars he donated to Obama was just to make it seem like he wasn't racist.
Another thing about this, Maher actually said "niggra" not "nigger". Is this just as bad?
Was John Lennon a racist? He wrote a song called "Women are the niggers of the world".
He was using the N word as a adjective I believe.
How about when someone refers to someone as a "white nigger" or "wigger" for short.
Is this just as bad?
Sticks and Stones.

Yes you are correct about this.
He used the word "niggra" to describe himself as a joke. Whoop-dee-fucking-doo
Where you this upset when the coward Ted Nugent was threatening to kill Obama? Or as long as you don't use the "N" word anything else is ok?

To clarify, I have very similar political beliefs to Bill Maher. Like when he was saying that the majority of hatred towards Obama was because he was Black.
What is the definition of a racist exactly? I think 99% of the people in this country are "racist"
to some degree or another no matter what color you are.
The "N" word or should I say what that word has depicted in the past is disgusting in that regard. No person should let a "word" control them. You would think that being the "N" word is so disgusting that all the millions of young black men in this country would refrain from using it. Maybe all those rappers that use it have the right idea, its just a word.

IceCube was on Bill Maher Friday and made me think to look at that word from a black person's point of view. I've been thinking that its just a word and Blacks shouldn't get so upset when a white person says it but IceCube said that when a white person says nigger that a black person takes as its said with venom or in a evil way. I see his point. When you think about it, that word was/is a dark spot in our society..I understand now why black people get so upset. Ice Cube opened my eyes. As Bill Maher learned that word should never be used even jokingly. .

Americans can say what they wish to say. Free speech is protected by the First Amendment. However, that protection was designed by the Founding Fathers to allow us to openly criticize government and not be concerned with going to jail for publicly disagreeing with government leaders. There are always consequences to any words one may state. We are all held to a standard which demands that the truth be told. And, if our words appear to lead to dire consequences for others, even death, anyone who speaks or writes these words in any form may be liable for someone else acting upon those words in a negative manner.
Barely out of her teenage years, Michelle Carter is learning a harsh lesson that one cannot just text anything to anyone about any action that person may take. Here's a link to just one of many articles about the consequences Carter now faces for her words: http://www.businessinsider.com/teen-texting-suicide-case-michelle-carter...

To me, Carter is obviously a very sick person. However, Conrad Roy III is just as dead as he would be if Carter had gone to him, gun in hand, and given it to him so that he could kill himself with it. And, he is just as dead as he would be if she had pulled the trigger, too. Dead is dead.

Here's a link to an article about the posting on social media of a photo of a 12-14 aged girls' softball team after they won a semi-final game, and were scheduled to play in the finals of a national tournament. 6 of the girls decided to put up their middle fingers in the photo, and one young person decided to post the pic on Snapchat.
May they post this as part of their "Freedom of Speech" in America? Absolutely! Have they been held accountable for what is considered to be an unsportsmanlike action? Yes. Does the "punishment fit the crime?" You be the judge!
Here's the link: http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/six-middle-fingers-on-snapch...

Americans are entitled to a wide interpretation of "Freedom of Speech." This does NOT mean, however, that we have freedom from consequences of that speech. In this modern era of easy communication, we must be especially careful what we post online!